


After

by fluffyfriz



Category: Wandersong (Video Game)
Genre: Bard’s name is Kiwi, Gen, Im being vague to avoid story spoilers, Injury, One Shot, Post-Game(s), Recovery, Scars, Spoilers, death mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-16 19:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18697567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffyfriz/pseuds/fluffyfriz
Summary: Just a place for me to write a bunch of different one shot thingies about Wandersong





	1. Thunder

The thunderstorms always serve as a reminder, that in a world that the past chosen hero had walked and stood proud they will still remain in memory. These memories-for most-are positive, and that is something that will likely remain; that the bard doesn’t intend to change. It isn’t in their place to bad-mouth Audrey, even if what she did was a bit awful, the bard will always hold the glimmer of hope that everyone deserves redemption no matter what. That there is good in everyone. In everything. Everyone is the hero of their own story.

But there’s no helping that the hero is remembered to the bard as something much darker: as fear, scars, and the ‘what-ifs’. The questions of what had happened to her, where she could be now, ‘is she still alive?’

...and if she was still out there, is there a chance she might want to get revenge? Would she hurt the ones they care about again?

The bard holds hope that she is simply living a peaceful life in a village, living her best new existence, making friends, embracing that she always was special and talented as they had seen her: as they see everyone as.

Hope doesn’t erase the memory of hurt.

As if the ache of a phantom limb the scar that spreads all over the bard’s side will pang with pains, with every lighting flash of the storming skies, with every boom of a thunder crash, it sears into their skin as if it happened the first time.

A reminder.

In a world where the hero has disappeared she has left her mark.

Yet, the bard can’t bring themselves to hate her. Even on the days where the bard clutches tight to their best friend, their friend who shares scars like their own, their friend who will curse the hero’s name on those nights, that they’ll grip onto tight with tears in both of their eyes and pain etched on both their faces.

It’s not fair. They both know that it’s not fair. They both know that things would’ve been a lot nicer had fate dealt them a better hand. Things don’t always go the way you’d like them too.

But the pain becomes worth it.

They have each other to comfort on those awful nights, they met each other through these strangest of circumstances, and here they are. They are there for the highs and the lows, and the highs are their most cherished.

The sun will shine tomorrow. The warmth will light up the new green earth. Colours will blow up their world, colours they can see and experience with their own two eyes. It is a beautiful world, the one they get to live in.

The birds will sing, the bard will too.


	2. Thoughts

"I wish I could have saved her."

There's arms wrapped around in a light hug, their bodies next to one another in the calm night, there’s cool air blowing in from the nearby window.

"...No, you wish that you could have saved the old Overseers. She didn't want saving, we both know it. But the Overseers were meant to die, they were meant to die with the world, remember? As sucky as that was."

"If I had gotten to one of them, ANY of them quicker, if I had the WORDS. If I had tried harder, if I had just been more convincing-"

"Kiwi."

And they look at her, their warm brown eyes reflect exhaustion, worry, the unshed tears of the over-thinking.

"There was nothing you could have told anybody to have changed their minds. You did enough, Kiwi. They were sick. They didn't take you seriously, they never would. And that was their own mistake. Maybe now they can learn to: The new ones I mean. They know that you were their saviors, all those fairies-turned -Overseers are in your debt now. They know that even the smallest and weakest and the dorkiest-"

"Ouch?"

"Okay, sorry, more like maybe just the most 'unlikely of heroes'? Well, they know that they can make a difference. All us little guys out there. That we are all important."

The words have them pulling in tighter, sinking further into the warmth of comfy blankets.

"That's all I ever wanted to do was that...make a difference."

"And you did. You did your very best, and everybody is incredibly proud of you. I am proud of you too."

A smile, one that never fails to warm her heart. It's shy but it's there, and she couldn't be happier.

"...Yeah?"

"Yeah."

She hugs them tighter, presses her hand to their chest.

"Your heart is just too big. You're letting these little things that shouldn't matter so much get to you, you feel too much. You care too much. None of those other people or animals or WHATEVER there is are sometimes even worth all that caring that you do. They'll never try for you like you do for them."

"Well, everybody is worth caring about...! Everything deserves to be loved, Miriam!"

She lets out a tired laugh; they could be so determined and gung-ho over such little things sometimes. For others it might seem sarcastic or played-out in a way. But for the bard it's oh-so genuine.

"Yeah, see? Like that. Some people don't think like that, some people see themselves as the greater than, the most important thing, the only important thing..."

They tuck their face into the covers.

"...Well, I don't. I...can't. Sometimes...I don't think I'm very important at all."

She cradles them, holding them like she wants to protect them from all the bad stuff in the world, all these negative thoughts and hurt.

"You're super important...you're one of the best of us out there. You're bright as the sun and you make every day always filled with laughs, and song, and just...good times. I can't imagine my life without you now, you know that?"

And they smile. It's warm, it's soft.

"...Thanks. I can't imagine my life without you in it now either."


	3. Stranger

_They wake up in a clearing, somewhere in a dark forest, the only light is the moonlight shining through the tall trees. Their head feels like cotton, their body feels weightless but heavy at the same exact time, but in all of this there's a familiarity._

_They force themselves to stand, their eyes darting all around to try and make sense of the land, but things feel almost foggy, blurry around the edges. There are flowers, all dead and crumpled on the ground, the beautiful colours they once had have been darkened. The sight makes them...really sad._

_The winds start picking up, and leaves begin to rustle around them. A storm? It suddenly begins to rain, first a drizzle that leads to an all-out pouring-_

_There's a loud crash that comes from every angle, the world shakes with bright light and trembles, and they suddenly feel like they're falling, falling, falling-_

The bard startles awake, their heart pounding in their ears and an uneasy heavy feeling in their chest.

_...What was that?_

They eventually gain enough sense of their surroundings to realize that they are laying in bed, there's a pattering sound from outside that they come to understand is just a gentle night-time rain. They take a deep breath.

_Just a dream._

There's a wave of relief when the Bard realizes that they likely just had one of those rare weird dreams people tend to have, that there's really nothing to worry over. They turn over to see Miriam- of whom they had one of their sleepovers with- sleeping peacefully, her messy hair pushed into a cute bedhead and her face pressed lightly into her pillow: out like a light.

They smile, giving her a gentle couple pats before deciding to get out of bed for a glass of water. Their throat suddenly feels very dry.

The bard descends the stairs, careful to be quiet on their feet as to not wake up Miriam or her grandmother, their head all the while feeling a bit in a haze.

They navigate the kitchen of Miriam's grandmothers house, opening the cupboard and pulling out one of the less vial-looking mugs that probably were less likely to be used for potion making. The water is refreshing, feels cool as it goes down; the bard hadn't realized they were so thirsty. They reach over to the tap to pour themselves another cup-

They fumble with their mug and it almost crashes to the floor. Their eyes focus to the window that looks out above the sink.

_There's a glow coming from the window_

The wind almost seems to howl, the rain picks up.

_There's something outside_

They squint to try and see through the rain, but the fogged glass really doesn't do them any favours. The bard swallows their fears in turn for curiosity and approaches the front door. Peeking out of the door window doesn't help any either. They decide to brace themselves and turn the knob-

The rain is loud when it greets their ears, a downpour. The door nearly opens itself, letting in a cold wind that is quick to blow in and cut through the bard's pajamas, causing them to shiver. They struggle to see through the breeze and peer out into the storm, towards the direction of the light.

There's somebody standing there, what looks like a woman, still, in the rain. The figure's face is turned up to the sky, arms limp at their sides, seemingly unaffected by the storm. The bard is surprised that anybody would be out in this weather, especially without any visible coat or umbrella.

"Um...Hello!" The bard calls out into the storm, attempting to gain the figure's attention. It seems to work, as the stranger's face seems to slowly turn towards the bard.

They don't reply, only seeming to stare ahead, maybe even through the bard.

"What's your name?" The bard asks.

No reply.

"Uh...My name is Kiwi! I'm a bard-"

"Wayfarer," the figure states, their voice sounds feminine.

"Uh...," the bard anxiously looks around, "you can call me that too, if you'd like!" They go silent for a moment, staring at Kiwi before they seem to turn their head to look back up to the skies.

"Can't rest...," the figure says, so quiet the bard barely hears them.

"Oh...I can't sleep either!" Kiwi blurts.

No reply. The figure seems to close their eyes.

"Are you tired?" Kiwi asks. They turn back to the bard.

"...Yes." Kiwi's hands fidget with their still clutched mug in thought; struggling with what they should do in this situation.

"Do you... want to come inside?" the bard asks, gesturing to the open door, "Out of the rain? It's really bad out! You're going to get all wet out there." The figure seems to stop to think it over for a while.

"...Okay."

They slowly pad over from their spot in the rain, their footsteps seem drowned out entirely from the storm. As they move closer Kiwi can see more of their appearance in what visible light there is: their hair is messy, their face is all sharp features and their eyes seem to shine in the moonlight.

***

The figure stands still in the house, seeming nearly motionless and rather aimless upon entering. It took some effort on the tired bard's part to shut the door, and when it's done they let out a relieved huff.

Now for their guest.

Kiwi wracks their brain for what to do, looking all around the house for ideas.

"Do you ah...," the bard pauses, eyes stopping on the small dining room table, "want to sit down?"

The stranger walks to the table slowly without answer, taking a seat at one of the wooden chairs. Meanwhile, Kiwi spots the kettle on the stove and has an idea.

"Would you like some tea?" There's a gentle nod.

"Okay, I'll make us some tea!"

***  
Kiwi thinks they know what they're doing. Like 80% sure. They've never made tea themselves before but it didn't seem to be too hard when they seen other people do it. The bard waits for the kettle to boil, the stove all the while heating their cold hands.The bard thinks to maybe grab a mop to wipe away any rainwater their visitor brought in while they wait, but is surprised to see that there's visibly no water on the floor. The stranger appears to be perfectly dry.

The silence is a bit awkward, and whenever something awkward like this happens Kiwi turns to what they always turn to: the bard starts to sing. Or hum rather. Quietly.

They fumble around in the kitchen, and as they do so, begin to hear a quiet hum start to accompany their voice. They notice that the stranger, for the first time, seems to wear a tired-but very much there- smile. Kiwi can't help but smile back.

"Your voice...," The stranger says, "it... sounds nice."

"Thank you! I like your's too!"

Kiwi pours and places the warm cup of tea in front of the stranger, setting down a cup in front of themselves before taking the adjacent seat at the table.

Kiwi tries to take a sip of their cup. Hot! It's too hot and it burns their tongue a bit, but otherwise it tastes alright. Maybe a bit too sugary. They put the cup down and sit in the silence for a while.

"So...what were you doing out in the rain?" The stranger looks to the nearby window, into the storm.

"I'm...looking for someone."

"Oh! Who are you looking for?"

"A friend," The stranger stares down at their cup, their eyes suddenly looking solemn, "I didn't expect to find them...I have been searching for quite a while. Many years." Kiwi frowns, suddenly feeling very sympathetic for this lady. The stranger suddenly looks up though, giving a small smile. "If I'm completely honest... they actually remind me a little of you," she says, her head rests on her chin, "...I'm sorry, what do you do?"

"I'm a bard! I like to sing!" The stranger looks a bit taken aback.

"...You sing...?"

"Yeah!" She seems to pause for a moment, as if thinking of something else. She fiddles with her hair.

"I'm... a witch."

"Oh. That's cool!" Kiwi thinks about Miriam, and all of the other witches they befriended on their journey.

"I came here to look for her...my... friend," the stranger says, "She liked to sing too..."

"Well, I hope you end up...-" Kiwi suddenly lets out a yawn, "Uh, sorry. I hope you end up finding her!"

"She...probably wouldn't want to talk to me."

"Why not? I'm sure she **misses** you too!" The stranger looks away.

"I...I'm not sure about that," they whisper, "Sometimes... I wonder if she would have been better off not meeting me." Kiwi frowns, taking a sip of their tea. The bard's eyes feel heavy.

**"In the meadow, right?"**

"...What?"

There's silence. Kiwi jolts, catching themselves, having nearly slouched over and out of their chair.

"...Oh, I'm sorry," Kiwi rubs their eyes, "I think I'm dozing off." The bard laughs awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed. The stranger frowns, their expression morphing into...disappointment?

"Oh..."

"It can't be that bad though," Kiwi says, "Whatever she would be mad at you for, I'm sure that she would still want to be your friend!"

"I don't know if it would be that easy," the stranger replies, "I betrayed her...I...I took her heart." The bard frowns.

"Took her **heart**...?"

"And... she let me. She loved me and I loved her so very very much that... in the end I gave her my heart as well." Kiwi feels a pang in their chest.

"...Oh."

"I'm sorry, this must be confusing... I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Well, I'm sure that even then...she... **would forgive you**." The stranger looks up, her eyes alight with moonlight, her face looks pale.

"...How can you be sure?"

"She would know that **it's not your fault** and that **every moment you had together**...," there's a yawn, **"would have been...worth it."**

"Oh...?"

"And she would...say that she **misses you and that she loves you."**

"Oh...!"

 **"She never stopped missing you and she's not angry...I'm just happy to see you again."** A tear rolls down the stranger's face, her hands go to press against her chest.

"Is...is it really you?"

**"It's okay Madri. I'm here."**

"Kala...I...I missed you. I love you. So much. You have no idea...!"

**"I love you, and it was worth everything, worth my life if I got to spend my time with you..."**

"I'm...so sorry. It's my fault-"

**"Don't say that... I was never mad at you, I could never be mad at you! What happened...it wasn't your fault-"**

The bard suddenly jolts, and there's the clang of a tea cup. Kiwi fumbles to right the cup before it spills, their heart leaping in their chest.

"Are-?"

"Sorry! Sorry... I must be nodding off," Kiwi mumbles, scratching their cheek. "I think I must be...," they yawn, "more tired...than I thought!"

"It's... okay," The stranger replies. "...Are you alright?"

"I uh...," Kiwi holds their hands suddenly to their chest, "You were talking...about your friend?"

"...And you gave me good advice. You've been really helpful."

"Oh? That's...," they yawn again, a tired smile, "I'm happy to hear it..."

"...To both of us. This isn't even your problem..."

"It's...uh...okay? The... **the minstrel's heart is pure and kind. They would be happy to be helping us speak like this."**

"...Are you sure? I don't want for them to get hurt..."

**"It is draining on them for me to stay like this though...I shouldn't stay here very much longer."**

"...It's okay. My heart feels lighter...just getting to hear you again."

**"You're such a sap, my love you always were. I always loved that so much about you..."**

"Would you mind...singing for this fool of a witch one last time? I miss your voice, I've thought about it so many nights. I want to rest and rest with you but I'm selfish and couldn't let myself move on until I heard you one last time..."

**"I should have known... I think this kind soul will allow me one last song..."**

***

 _They're standing somewhere in a forest, it's day and the sun feels warm. The trees are lovely colours, all beautiful shades of the rainbow, the sight is absolutely stunning, so much so that they would bet that they could stand there for ever..._  
_but the sound of a song is coming from the distance, it's gentle melody is pulling them in, telling them to keep walking._

_And where they end up, there's a beautiful meadow of flowers. Flowers all shapes and sizes and colours, they paint the earth in wonderful arrays, their petals flutter in a gentle breeze._

_And right in the center, they make out two people, they twirl together in a perfect sync. They're the ones who are singing such a lovely tune, one that has them entranced by how beautiful it sounds. The witch's magic has the winds blowing through, petals flying in a display of spirals like confetti. The wayfarer's song is like magic itself, each note echoing through the trees in a nature's symphony. They dance and they laugh and on their faces are the warmest of smiles, they wear faces of an undying love meant for one another._

_Suddenly, they look their way._

_**"Thank you!"** They hear. _

_And their bodies seem to fade, but something vibrant, beautiful, seems to remain._

***

"...Hey."

There's a pressure that is felt on their back.

"Hey!"

"Wha...?"

The bard wakes up, finding themselves facing none-other-than Miriam, who seems to have her arms crossed.

"...Did you sleep here all night?"

Kiwi inspects their surroundings and finds that they seem to have fallen asleep at the dining table, explaining the sudden soreness they feel in their neck. It feels like they slept on a board. They guess they kind of did.  

"Uh...?"

"And did you make tea?" Miriam looks at the cup situated nearby, lifting it up, "...Why did you make two cups?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on the wayfarer and the witch song from the game, I wanted to write something with ghost stuff...and I thought why not the wayfarer kiwi meeting the wayfarer in the song?? it didnt turn out exactly how id have liked but im kinda not the best at writing so this is what happened i guess

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you guys are liking this, any feedback is awesome :’)


End file.
